Appliance for producing perfect combustion of gas.



No. 666,894. Patent 6d Ian. 29, 19m. F. M. BENNETT & J. o. rowuan, 1n.APPLIANCE FOR PRODUCING PERFECT COMBUSTION UF GAS.

(Application filed Nov. 80, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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Ni'rn FREDERICK M. BENNETT AND JONATHAN O. FOWLER, JR., OF NEW YORK, N.Y., ASSIGNORS TO THE SOLAR (NO-MANTLE) INCANDESOENT LIGHT COMPANY OFWEST VIRGINIA.

APPLIANCE FOR PRODUCING PERFECT COMBUSTION OF GAS SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 666,894,:1ated January 29, 1901..

Application filed November 30,1900 Serial No; 88,189. (No model.)

To all whom, it nuty concern:

Be it known that we, FREDERICK M. BEN- NETT and JONATHAN O. FOWLER, J12,citizens of the United States, and residents of New 5 York, in thecounty and State of New York,

have invented a certain new and useful Appliance for Producing PerfectCombustion of Gas, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an apparatus for burning illuminating gas orvapor of the regenerative type, which may be broadly stated as animprovement upon the so-called Argand burner; and it has for its objectthe provision of an appliance of the kind set forth simple inconstruction, inexpensive to manufactu re, and which operatesnoiselessly,steadily, and efficiently in practical use.

Our appliance is designed to burn the vapor of bodies rich in carbon andhydrogen or gas from carbonaceous deposits such as oil, coal, orpetroleum-mixed with the proper quantity of air for the production oflight or heat.

Our device may be utilized for the production of heat with or withoutlight-2'. e., with either a blue or white-flame, according to thequantity of air admittedand also to produce light either as a result ofcombustion or incandescence, or both.

0 To attain the desired end, this our invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement, and operation of parts herein set forth.

In order to enable our invention to be fully understood, we will proceedto explain the 5 same in connection with an apparatus for producinglight by burning gas by reference to the drawings, which accompany andform a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents a sideelevation, partly 0 in section, of one of our gasburners. Fig. 2

is a similar view of another burner constructed according to ourinvention. Figs. 3 and 4 are views of the bottom portions of the twoburners, taken on a horizontal plane about 5 that of the line y y, Fig.1; and Fig. 1 is a view in detail of our air-deflectors.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the views.

We have found it desirable to make a burner that shall produce a moreperfect combusto tion and a greater intensity of light than hasheretofore been accomplished with the same amount of illuminating-gas,gasolene, carbon-oil vapors, or other similar illuminating agent and atthe ordinary pressure at which gas is ordinarily furnished. Weaccomplish this without the use of an artificial or extraneous draft, asmechanical blowers. In our burner the admission of the air to the gas issoadjusted that in the mixture obtained the amounts of oxygen andhydrogen are practically in the proportions of the chemical equivalentsof these two gases. The mixed air and gas issues from the burner undergreater pressure than that furnished by the normal pressure of thegas-distributing system and with'greater speed than that with which thegas would ordinarily pass through the burner, while at the same time theconsumption of gas is economical and the action of the lamp is steady.

Within the preferably circular flame of our burner and also adjacent tothe same there is a zone of superior incandescence formed, which zone wecall the hyper-incandescent zone and which is very much more intense andalso somewhat hotter than the ordinary flame. In our burner weordinarily place refractory material which is exceedingly close to thishyperincandescent zone, so that it will be in direct contact with thehighlyheated air and the products of combustion rising from the flame,whereby the refractory material also becomes hyperincandescent, thusfurnishing with the same consumption of gas a more intense light or thesame amount of light given by other burners with a less consumption ofgas. We have accordingly devised a burner wherein the air and gas arefirst heated separately in proper proportions and to the proper degrees,and then the column of flame is treated with air, the same being thrownagainst it both from within and without, whereby complete combustion issecured and alight of great whiteness and intense brilliancy isobtained, and we have therefore constructed according to our inventionan organization of the class described embodying the preferredconstruction of parts and their mutual relationship, combination,arrangement, and organization in a composite body or structure, ashereinafter described.

Referring particularly to the drawings, A denotes, preferably, aplurality of pipes or passages, forming the lower portion of our burnerproper, in which the gas is heated and which is provided with astop-cock, as L, and an interiorly-threaded extension L. The passages Aconduct into a cylindrical chamber I or burner proper, provided at itsupper portion with preferably a plurality of small orifices I, throughwhich the gas escapes for purposes of combustion, preferably at anangle, so as to move wit-h a gyratory movement either in the samedirection of or against the air column. Within the chamber E, containingthe expansile chamber I, are located our preferably stationaryair-deflectors 6 0 constructed similar to the blades of a propeller,which deflectors serve to deflect the air sidewise and to give the airpassing through the chamber E a gyratory motion. Our burner is alsoprovided with an integral horizontal plate or chimney-holder B, providedwith flaps D, and also with a number of perforations 1) (the centralorifices serving to supply air to the center of the burner and to coolthe gas-pipe) which may be partially or entirely closed by a concentricvalve-plate M, provided with perforations F, constructed and arranged toregister with the orifices b and lying against and beneath the plate B,which plate M maybe rotated and the air-ports regulated by means of theadjusting-pin B. We thus break up the current of air and so prevent thedisagreeable hissing sound which is common in the form of burnersordinarily designated as Argand burners, and we also assist in obviatingthe effects of drafts upon the burner.

We provide a chamber I, as stated, within the chamber E of our burner,into the bottom of which the air is fed through the perforations F, andat the upper part thereof an outlet for the air is formed by the annularspace or orifice formed in the top of the cap 0, located above thedeflector H, attached to the stem G, and the annular or hollow chamberI. The said cap 0, inclosing the burner proper, I, sometimes providedwith perforations 0, rises from the plate B and has at the upperextremity thereof an annular flange or ledge or step 0 forming apartially-closed top, with an opening concentric with the burner. Thesaid annular flange G together with the interior recessed perforatedportion C, constituting an air-superheating chamber 0 form a pluralityof integral steps or ledges, the purpose of which is to force the heatedair laterally against the column of heated gas rising from the burnerand to cause the air and gas to become intimately mixed before ignition.The cap 0, provided with the three aforesaid parallel steps or ledges BC C, may be stamped up out of one piece of sheet metal and the inclinedupper portion of the cap may be snapped on. The heated air is caused toassume a gyratory motion (preferably in the same direction as thatpassing through the chamber I) by means of the preferablyspirally-formed air-deflector C The air being thus fed or incorporatedin the column of gas both from within and without the same, preferablywith a rotatory movement, imparts great steadiness to the flame, thesame not being readily affected by drafts, &c., and affords a readymeans of thoroughly mixing the heated air and heated gas in the properproportions and degrees to produce perfect combustion and to give anintense white flame of great brilliancy.

A solid or tubular vertical stem G, which may serve to heat air or gas,or both, and constructed of refractory material, rises preferably fromthe plate B at the center of the burner, being mounted upon or connectedwith the valve M and may be provided with a deflector 11, preferably ofinverted-cone shape, and the continuation J of the stem G is ordinarilymade of a highly-refractory material and usually provided with a flaringhead or enlargement J, upon which we preferably place ahighly-refractory material K. We ordinarily also surround the stem Jwith a cylinder R preferably made of a refractory material, as afireproof body, and provided with a coating or facing K ofhighlyrefractory material. Anysuitable refractory material that willattain awhite heat or become incandescent may be employed for thispurpose. A chimney A, also preferably provided with a step or ledge, issuitably supported by the plate or holder 13, as shown, and anotherchimney A resting on the plate or holder A and. provided with a centralorifice, serves, together with the other chimney, to form a channelwherein the air may receive its preliminary heating before being mixedwith the gas.

By means of the construction set forth we are able to produce a solidluminous body of fire of a steadiness and height of flame hithertounattained and which is equal or superior in height and intensity ofillumination to the best of the lamps known ordinarily as incandescentburners when in their best condition. We accomplish this, however,Without the aid or use of any mantles or hoods whatever, the body of theflame itself having the general appearance of a mantle, and weaccordingly produce by our burner what we term a flame-mantle, in whichburner there are, as stated, no perishable mantles to renew. By the useof our burner we also avoid the frequent breakage of chimneys andglobes, which so frequently occurs with the use of burners of theincandescent or mantle type.

The burner represented in Figs. 2 and 4 is like that one just described,except that it is constructed and arranged to form a flat or oblongburner, and it also has a longer or oblong chamber E the plate B cap 0cylinder I deflectors H and K and the supplypipes A being elongated, andthe deflector K also being supported by two stems J in lieu of one stemJ, as in Figs. 1 and 3.

It is manifest that various omissions of some particulars could be madewithout materially affecting the essential features of our invention orthe operation of the remaining parts, and we do not, therefore, wish tobe limited to the specific structural details of the organization setforth herein. Obviously the elements of the structure described may belocated at an angle to the plane in which they are shown. We accordinglyuse the words horizontal, vertical, and the like in a relative sense.

The method of operating our invention is clear from the foregoingdescription. The gas entering the burner through the tubes A is heatedto some extent thereby and afterward becomes more rarefied while passingthrough the conical chamber I, with or without being conducted up intothe interior of the stem G. The air is heated while passing between thechimneys A and A and through the perforations b and F of the plate orholder B and becoming divided or broken up, as it were, passes upthrough both the interior central portion of the burner and also withinthe cap 0 and outside the cylinder I with a gymtory motion. The interiorcolumn of air is further heated and also deflected by the deflector H,near the orifices 1', adjacent to which point the ascending exteriorcolumn of air, having in the meantime been further heated and alsodeflected by the cap 0 and chimney A, meets the flame of the burner. Theexterior column of air then rises with the flame, while the heated airof the central draft is again thrown against the flame by the head J ofthe stem J. The expansile and mixing chambers E and I serve to produce acombustible mixture of air and vapor of superior incandescence, in whichthe amounts of oxygen and hydrogen are practically in the proportions oftheir chemical equivalents,and in the heating zone of superiorincandescence thus formed, which we term the hyperincandescent zone, Weplace suitable highly-refractory material, preferably by su rroundingthe stem J with a mass of non-conducting absorbent refractory materialar ranged adjacent to it, but so as to leave space for the passage ofthe gases of combustion around said stern-as, for example, therefractory materials K and K The non-conducting refractory materialthereby becomes radiantly hot or white in color and constitutes anincandescent mass, which adds to the intensity of our luminous flame.Thus, in short, the complete intermingling of the heated air and gas inthe properproportions produces an intense flame of a great height, whilethe refractory materials, which becoine of a white heat or incandescent,add, as stated, greater whiteness and brilliancy to the flame. It willbe observed that in our burner the heated air is supplied for thecombustion of the gas by utilizing the heat of the burning gas itself ina definitely-adjusted quantity by the air-passages formed by the chimneyA, plate B, and cap 0, and the chimney A plate A and the burner-body I,and that the gas is thus prevented from being too highly heated beforeignition, and also that the orifices I are located some distance apart,whereby the efficiency of our burner is highly increased, as theefficiency of gas as an illuminating agent depends both upon properlyheating the air mixed with the gas and upon the volume of heated airthat is thrown against the flame both from within and without the same,and also upon maintaining the gas at a sufliciently low temperaturebefore ignition to prevent the decomposition of the hydrocarbon beforeignition and the too-rapid combustion of the carbon during burning. Fordifferent qualities of lightinggas and for (lifierentpressures theair-ports may be adjusted differentially by manipulating the pin 13 inorder to produce the best burning mixture. The air contained Within thechamber, ordinarily triangular in crosssection, located in the upperinterior portion of our cap 0, becomes superheated and is forced throughthe annular orifices of said chamber against the flame. The partialvacuum thus formed keeps drawing up the moderately-hot air through thelower orifices of the said chamber up into the said compartment forpurposes of super-heating the same. By thus treating the column of flameboth from within and without with air the requisite supply of oxygen issupplied, whereby perfect and complete combustion is obtained, and alight of great whiteness in color and also of exceeding power andbrilliancy is secured, as Well as of a height of intensely-luminousflame hitherto unattained.

The commercial advantages of our burner consist in the production of agiven quantity of light with the consumption of a quantity of gas muchless than that necessary to produce an equal candle-power by the use ofordinary burners and also in the height and in the purity and brilliancyor intensity of the flame, the same being of a clear white and mellowlight, thus constituting an improvement upon what has already beenaccomplished in this class of illuminating apparatuses.

As it is evident that many changes in the construction, forin,proportion, and relative arrangement of parts might be resort-ed towithout departing from the spirit and scope of our invention, we wouldhave it understood that we do not restrict ourselves to the particularconstruction and arrangement of parts shown and described, but that suchchanges and equivalents may be substituted therefor, and that What weclaim as our invention is 1. In aburner, aperforated plate andchimney-holder, means for adjusting the size of said perforations atwill, and a cap inclosing the burner and provided with an opening in thetop, and also with a step or ledge, in combination with a gas-tube, avalve, gas-passages, and an annular chamber within the burner, theburner being provided with small outlet-orifices, and also with acentral stem provided with a deflecting portion.

2. In aburner, a perforated plate and chimney-holder, means foradjusting the size of said perforations at will, and a cap inclosing theburner and provided with an opening at the top, and also with a stop orledge, in combination with a gas-tube, a valve, gas-passages, and anannular chamber within the burner.

3. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided with apluralityof steps or ledges, the outer edges of which are connected withan inclined portion or plate, in combination with a chimney cylinder orfunnel and with refractory material located within said chimney.

4. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided with aplurality of steps or ledges, the outer edges of which are connectedwith an inclined portion or plate, in combination with a central stemprovided with deflecting means.

5. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided with aplurality of steps or ledges, the outer edges of which are connectedwithan inclined portion or plate, in

combination with a chimney cylinder or funnel provided with a step orledge.

6. In a burner, a plate and chimney-holder and cap inclosing the burner,and provided with a plurality of steps or ledges, the outer edges ofwhich are connected with an inclined portion or plate, and athereunder-located cross-plate, in combination with a gas-tube, a valve,gas-passages and an annular gasburner.

7. An annular burner, and a capinclosing said burner, and provided withan integral chimney-holder, and also with a plurality of steps orledges, the outer edges of which are connected with an inclined portionor plate.

8. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided with aplurality of steps or ledges, the lower being of larger diameter thanthe upper, in combination with means to deflect the air sidewise with arotary movement located within the said cap.

9. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided with apluralityof steps or ledges, the lower being of larger diameter than theupper, in combination with means to deflect the air sidewise with arotary movement located both within and without the said cap.

10. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided with aplurality of steps or ledges, the lower being of larger diameter 1 thanthe upper, in combination with means to deflect the air sidewise with arotary move ment located adjacent to the said cap.

11. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided withaplurality of steps or ledges, the outer edges of which are connectedwith an inclined portion or plate, in combination with means to deflectthe ai r sidewise with a rotary movement located within the said cap.

12. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided with aplurality of steps or ledges, the outer edges of which are connectedwith an inclined portion or plate, in combination with means to deflectthe air sidewise with a rotary movement located both within and withoutthe said cap.

13. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided with aplurality of steps or ledges, the outer edges of which are connectedwith an inclined portion or plate, in combination with means to deflectthe air sidewise with a rotary movement located adjacent to the saidcap.

14. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided with airdeflecting means, and also with an air-superheating chamber located inthe interior top portion of the cap.

15. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided withairdeflecting means, and also with an air-superheating chamber providedwith interior orifices, and located in the interior top portion of thecap.

16. An annular burner provided with an open central portion, a cap toinclose said burner and constructed and arranged to form an air-passagebetween the burner and cap, a superheating air-chamber located in theupper interior portion of said cap, and means to throw the saidsuperheated air against the flame at the point of combustion.

17. An annular burner provided with an open central portion, and a capto inclose said burner and provided at its upper interior portion with asuperheating air-chamber, provided with air-inlet orifices in the lowerpart thereof, and with annular air-outlets to throw the said superheatedair against the flame at the point of combustion.

18. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided with aplurality of steps or ledges, the outer edges of which are connectedwith an inclined portion or plate, in combination with a central stem.

19. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided With aplurality of steps or ledges, the outer edges of which are connectedwith an inclined portion or plate, in combination with achimney cylinderor funnel and with deflecting means located within said chimney.

20. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided with aplurality of steps or ledges, the outer edges of which are connectedwith an inclined portion or plate, in combination With two chimneycylinders 01' IIO funnels forming an intermediate air-channelcommunicating with the interior of the cap.

21. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided with aplurality of steps or ledges, the outer edges of which are connectedwith an inclined portion or plate, in combination with two chimneycylinders or funnels, one provided with a step or ledge, and the twoforming an intermediate air-channel communicating with the interior ofthe cap.

22. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided with aplurality of horizontal steps or ledges, the lower being of largerdiameter than the upper, in combination with a central stem, a cylinderof refractory material surrounding said stem but spaced therefrom, and achimney.

23. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided with aplurality of steps or ledges, the lower being of larger diameter thanthe upper, in combination with two chimney cylinders or funnels formingan intermediate air-channel communicating with the interior of the cap.

24:. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided with aplurality of steps or ledges, the lower being of larger diameter thanthe upper, in combination with two chimney cylinders or funnels, oneprovided with a step or ledge, and the two forming an intermediateair-channel communicating with the interior of the cap.

25. An annular burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and providedwith air-deflecting means, in combination with a chimney cylinder orfunnel, and with a central vertical stem and cylider of refractorymaterial surrounding said stem but spaced therefrom.

26. An annular burner provided with an open central portion, and a capinclosing said burner, and provided with a plurality of integralhorizontal steps or ledges, the outer edges of which ledges areconnected with an inclined portion or plate, in combination with achimney cylinder or funnel.

27. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided with aplurality of horizontal steps or ledges, and also with anairsuperheating chamber located in the interior top portion of the cap,the lower step or ledge being of larger diameter than the upper, andalso with an integral horizontal chimneyholder.

28. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided with aplurality of horizontal steps or ledges, the upper ledge beingconstructed and arranged to throw the air against the flame at a rightangle at the point of combustion, and the lower ledge being of largerdiameter than the upper, in combination with a chimney, and withdeflecting means located within said burner.

29. A burner, and a cap inclosing said burner, and provided with aplurality of horizontal steps or ledges, the upper ledge beingconstructed and arranged to throw the air against the flame at a rightangle at the point of combustion, and the next lower ledge being oflarger diameter than the upper one, and the said cap being also providedwith an additional integral stepped horizontal chimney-holder, theaforesaid three ledges of said cap being constructed and arranged to liein exact parallel position, the Whole cap being stamped up out of onepiece of sheet metal.

In testimony of the foregoing specification we do hereby sign the same,in the city of New York, county and State of New York, this 17th day ofOctober, A. D. 1900.

FREDERICK M. BENNETT. JONATHAN O. FOWLER, JR.

Witnesses:

HARRY H. HOLMES, E. B. BOLTON.

